Mention Marsabit or Northern Kenya, and the picture that immediately comes to mind is one of drought, hunger, cattle rustling, and perpetual dependence on food aid. But across the county, a quiet transformation is underway. Local communities are actively rewriting that narrative by embracing agriculture. Pastoralists and farmers are turning scarcity into opportunity, utilizing modern farming techniques and smart water solutions to grow food in one of Kenya’s most arid regions.
With 95% of residents relying on livestock and 90% of youth depending on animals for their livelihoods according to United Nations (UN) and National Drought Management Authority (NDMA) data climate change has forced these communities to rethink survival. The vast Chalbi Desert, stretching east of Lake Turkana, mirrors Egypt’s extreme aridity, but without the luxury of the Nile River.
The journey of this agricultural revolution often begins at the Don Bosco Technical Institute Farm in Marsabit town. The institution’s director, Fr. Franklin Njue, explains that their farming venture kicked off after they successfully drilled a borehole and subsequent soil tests revealed the land was remarkably fertile. Funded by international donors and championed by Brother Jim Comino from Italy, the farm utilizes modern drip irrigation to grow vegetables, fruits, maize, beans, bananas, papayas, and avocados in abundance.
“The farm has created jobs for our youth, paid school fees, and significantly boosted local food security. It has become a visual model for what is possible in the desert,” says Fr. Franklin. Peter Edima, a poultry farmer at the institution, adds that they have also diversified into poultry. “Apart from selling eggs and meat, the chicken droppings are recycled to fertilize our crop fields.”
This local produce is actively fighting malnutrition. Linah Dogo, a Marsabit resident, notes that the farm consistently supplies nutritious food to children and lactating mothers in a county that historically records some of the highest malnutrition rates in Kenya.
A few kilometers away along Nyayo Road and in Sagante Jaldesa, Guyo Shibia successfully balances pastoralism with crop farming. He grows drought-resistant crops and medicinal herbs, keeps bees and poultry, and has even planted fodder to sell commercially to fellow herders.
Nearby on Nyayo Road, the Harme Harda group comprising 450 farmers focuses strictly on seasonal, resilient crops like sorghum, cowpeas, teff, lentils, beans, sweet potatoes, moringa, and pumpkin. “We plant what can survive the dry seasons,” says group chairman Yohana Mulato. “We are heavily involved in seasonal crop farming, prioritizing drought-resistant varieties that guarantee a harvest even when the rains are brief.”
Meanwhile, about 200 kilometers from Marsabit town in Dirdima, Sololo, a group of 105 farmers is collectively cultivating 10 acres of land. Faced with increasingly erratic weather, these former pure pastoralists now practice mixed farming, growing crops alongside smaller, more manageable livestock herds.
“This approach gives us double benefits: reliable food and better household nutrition,” says Dima Abdinur, one of the local farmers. According to Abdinur, the group cleared a profit of KSh 500,000 in the previous season alone. Fellow members Halima Hassan, Rahma Ahmed, Ibrahim Adan, and Abdinur Adan agree that this steady income is completely changing their families’ lives.
Their success was made possible through a solar-powered borehole, irrigation pipes, and farming machinery donated through a joint initiative by the World Food Programme (WFP), the National Irrigation Authority, and the NDMA.
This exact model is being replicated in Lataka, near the Kenya-Ethiopia border, where eight groups totaling 219 farmers manage 30 acres of farmland. Group leader John Boru Jirmo emphasizes that community unity has been their greatest asset. Similar mixed-farming initiatives are rapidly taking root in Funa-Nida, Anona, Laisamis, and North Horr.
Dub Nura, the Saku-Marsabit County Agriculture Officer, attributes this regional farming boom to modern technology, recent localized rainfall, aggressive rainwater harvesting, and continuous farmer training programs. “The locals have wholeheartedly embraced drought-resistant crops, and it is drastically enhancing household food security,” Nura notes.
Regional experts are also stepping in to guide the transition. Climate adaptation scientists for the Marsabit-Moyale (Kenya) and Ethiopia cluster under the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) Cluster II advise farmers to prepare their land early. They recommend planting fast-maturing, drought-tolerant crops like teff, beans, vegetables, and green grams during the short rainy seasons.
Mr. Oliver Kipkogei, a Regional Agrometeorologist and Climate Scientist at the IGAD Climate Prediction and Applications Centre (ICPAC), strongly urges farmers to scale up rainwater harvesting and adopt water-efficient technologies like drip kits. Kaltuma Hassan, a member of the Laisamis climate adaptation committee, adds that local farming groups are now actively tracking reliable weather forecasts to plan their planting calendars.
Dr. Guyo Malicha Roba, head of the Dryland Development Unit at the IGAD Centre for Pastoral Area and Livestock Development (ICPALD), highlights the social aspect of this shift, urging pastoralists and farmers to share scarce water and pasture resources peacefully. “When climate shocks like droughts or flash floods strike, they devastate local livelihoods. Measures must be put in place to mitigate these disasters before they happen,” Dr. Guyo explains.
At the national level, the Kenyan government has stepped in with an ambitious drought resilience program designed to revolutionize water management, agriculture, and livestock farming across northern Kenya. Unveiled in Dambala Fachana, the initiative offers a long-term solution to the region’s perennial water scarcity.
During the program launch, the Principal Secretary for Irrigation, Mr. Ephantus Kimotho, emphasized the state’s financial backing, announcing an allocation of KSh 280 million targeting 255,000 residents. “Our goal is to cover all arid and semi-arid counties, but we are prioritizing Marsabit and Turkana for immediate, high-impact interventions,” Kimotho stated.
The project has been warmly received by residents and local leaders, led by Marsabit Governor Mohamud Mohammed Ali. “These irrigation dams are the key to unlocking our county’s true potential,” Governor Ali said. “They will not only quench our thirst but also nourish our dreams of becoming a food basket for the region. We are fully committed to ending hunger.”
Dr. Harun Warui, the lead Programme Coordinator for Food Rights and Agroecology at the Heinrich Böll Foundation and the Route to Food Initiative, advocates for a holistic view of food security. He argues that true sustainability requires a shift away from toxic synthetic pesticides toward agroecology—prioritizing food quality and human rights over mere production metrics.
Dr. Warui commends Marsabit’s farmers for transitioning from individual farming to organized groups. This structural shift makes it much easier for initiatives like the Kenya Climate Smart Agriculture Project (KCSAP) and the WFP to deliver targeted training, seeds, and equipment.
Marsabit’s story is undeniably changing. From the fields of Don Bosco to the cooperative farms of Dirdima and Lataka, former nomadic pastoralists are proving that with reliable water access, modern training, and steady support, the desert can bloom. Aside from traditional pastoralism, agriculture is no longer just a backup survival plan in Marsabit—it is becoming the region’s new goldmine.
